CPM 'forces' Mamata to shift rail factory

Announcing that she would not use force to acquire land for the rail factory, Banerjee said she would relocate it “somewhere else” which will be announced in a couple of days.

Ironically, the announcement was made at a Trinamool rally at a place barely a few kilometres from Singur, the site of the erstwhile Tata small car project. Tatas had to abandon the Singur project in the wake of fierce anti-acquisition stir launched by the Trinamool.

In an identical fashion, villagers, allegedly backed by the CPM, have been opposing the proposed Diesel Multiple Unit  coach factory on 630 acres of farmland at Sankrail in Howrah district. The farmers have been demanding higher compensation and jobs in the railways.

“I will not forcibly set up the coach factory at Sankrail, although only a few people are opposing the project. I will relocate the factory. Within two to three days I will decide and inform where the factory will be relocated,” she said.

However, her present stand did not deter Banerjee from reiterating Trinamool’s previous demand for return of 400 acres  out of 997.11 acres acquired by the Buddhadev Bhattacherjee government from the farmers for establishing the small car factory.

Addressing a rally at Singur last week, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had said: “Come what may, we will set up industry here if the people so wish. We are trying hard to set up the industry there as soon as possible.”

It was his first visit to Singur in two years after Tata Motors announced on October 3, 2008, that the world’s cheapest car would not roll out from there.